Football: Spanish league denounces fraudulent ‘phantom’ match

MADRID (REUTERS) – Spain’s professional league (LFP) has identified a suspected betting fraud involving a “phantom” match between Spanish side Ponferradina and Portuguese club Freamunde which never took place.

The friendly between the two lower league teams was supposed to have been played on Monday at 10am local time despite the fact that Freamunde played a Portuguese League Cup match the previous evening, the LFP said.

Anomalies were detected by Federbet, a non-profit organisation which tracks illegal practices in sports betting, and brought to the league’s attention.

“The LFP’s integrity unit contacted Ponferradina officials who confirmed that the supposed match never took place and that, therefore, it was a fraudulent manipulation of those who placed bets and the sports betting firms,” the LFP said.